On Thursday, May 20, 2021, over 175 of SUNY Broome’s newest graduates participated in an outdoor, socially-distant, Commencement celebration. Though the event differed significantly from SUNY Broome’s usual, large-scale ceremony with thousands in attendance, the 2021 version was equally as celebratory. Addressing the campus community after the event, President Dr. Kevin Drumm reflected that, “2021 brought an unique commencement exercise on campus. It was a smashing success! The energy was contagious all day!”
Under the backdrop of perfect weather, graduates were invited to visit the pavilion on the south portion of the campus during pre-scheduled time slots. Donning their regalia, President Dr. Kevin Drumm and Vice Presidents Dr. Penny Haynes and Dr. Carol Ross-Scott, enthusiastically cheered on the graduates and personally extended their sincerest congratulations and well-wishes. The celebrations were not just limited to the SUNY Broome students, but also included their family and friends, who were encouraged to attend at a safe distance. Graduates were photographed receiving their covers from President Drumm and were then invited to take another photo that included their guests.
Class of 2021 graduates were also presented with various commemorative gifts, including a note of congratulations from the President, their first alumni magazine, a 2021 commemorative tassel, and a SUNY Broome themed face-mask. These gifts were provided by the College, the Office of Alumni Affairs and the BCC Foundation. SUNY Broome’s newest alumni were encouraged to stay connected to their alma mater for years to come.
The graduates, their families, and friends were overwhelmingly pleased with the drive-thru event. For Communications and Media Arts graduate, Tom Corey, this time of celebration and recognition was eagerly awaited. “I took a semester off because I needed time to recuperate after a major surgery. Everyone at SUNY Broome was so encouraging and worked to help make my transition back to campus as smooth as possible. I am so appreciative of everyone’s support. My family wasn’t able to come today, but my friend Amanda came to celebrate with me,” reflected Corey. Tom will be attending SUNY Oswego in the fall to continue his studies in Communications.
For Dental Hygiene graduates Jourdan Hummer and Lauren Vibbard, the drive-thru Commencement event was not only a way to celebrate their major accomplishment of graduating from the Dental Hygiene program, but it was also a way to publicly thank the people who supported them along the way. “Our parents all volunteered to be our patients and drove in from Cooperstown, NY and Madison, NY just so that we could perform cleanings and exams,” the students said. Both graduates are eagerly awaiting the next step in their Dental Hygiene careers – passing the National Board exam for licensure.
Following the on-campus event, a full, virtual Commencement Ceremony was streamed on both YouTube and Facebook on Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Mirroring SUNY Broome’s traditional Commencement Ceremonies of year’s past, the 2021 virtual event had musical performances from SUNY Broome students, words of encouragement from President Drumm, members of the Board of Trustees and fellow students, and the conferring of over 800 degrees. In total, 886 graduates were celebrated ranging in age from 17 to 60.
If you were not able to attend SUNY Broome’s drive-thru Commencement Celebration, we invite you to please take a moment to view photos and videos and celebrate again!
Photos: Drive-Thru Commencement Event Photos on Flickr
Video: sunybroome.edu/graduation
